Antonino Scaravilli
| Antonino Scaravilli | |
|---|---|
| Born | Antonino Scaravilli 17 March 1917 Cesarò, Sicily, Italy |
| 💀Died | 20 October 1944 Bologna, Italy20 October 1944 |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Italian |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 🏢 Organization | Giustizia e Libertà |
| Known for | Partisan; the Battle of the University (Bologna) |
| 🏅 Awards | Honorary degree in law (Posthumous) |
Antonino Scaravilli (17 March 1917 – 20 October 1944) was a partisan who took part in the Italian Resistance during the Second World War. He joined the anti-fascist movement after the 1943 armistice and became a member of the 8th Giustizia e Libertà (Justice and Freedom) Brigade “Masia”, also known as the 8th GL “Masia” Brigade, in Bologna. He was captured and executed by Fascist forces during fighting at the University. Scaravilli is remembered as a symbol of young Italians, and a central square at the University of Bologna has been named in his honour.
Biography
Born in Cesarò, Sicily, to Vito and Maria Scaravilli. After completing his classical studies, he enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Bologna in 1942. He was the youngest member of a large family. Recalled to military service during the Second World War, he deserted and joined the Resistance.
He is officially recognised as a partisan from 1 October 1943 to 20 October 1944[1].
Battle of the University
In the autumn of 1944, while Bologna awaited liberation, Scaravilli helped organise partisan bases in the city centre[2]. He was a member of the 8th GL “Masia” Brigade (formerly the 5th GL Brigade of Emilia-Romagna), which had established its main base at the University's Geography Institute. There, clandestine radios were installed to communicate with the command and Allied missions, and caches of weapons, provisions, and materials for forged documents were prepared.
On 20 October 1944, approximately 200 Fascist militiamen surrounded the university headquarters. A violent clash ensued; many partisans managed to escape, but Antonino and some comrades were trapped inside. After a prolonged battle, they were captured and soon executed together: Antonino, Mario Bastia, Ezio Giaccone, Leo and Luciano Pizzigotti, and Stelio Ronzani.
Shortly afterwards, the city of Bologna rose in the Battle of Porta Lame, continuing the struggle to which Scaravilli and his comrades had sacrificed their lives.
Honours and legacy
Piazza Antonino Scaravilli, a square in Bologna, is named after him[3], and lies opposite Palazzo Poggi, the University’s main building.
Inside the Rectorate, at Via Zamboni 33, along the corridor leading to the exit on Via S. Giacomo, there is a commemorative plaque.
He was posthumously awarded an Honorary Degree (Laurea Honoris Causa) in Law on 7 December 1946[4].
He is buried in the Ossuary Monument to the Fallen Partisans at the Certosa Cemetery in Bologna and is commemorated in the Memorial Shrine in Piazza Nettuno, in the center of Bologna[5].
Bibliography
- Nazario Sauro Onofri. "Bologna dall'antifascismo alla Resistenza". Gli antifascisti, i partigiani e le vittime del fascismo nel bolognese, 1919-1945 [Anti-Fascists, Partisans, and Victims of Fascism in the Bologna Area, 1919–1945]. By Albertazzi, A.; Arbizzani, L.; Onofri, N.S. (in italiano). I. Unknown parameter
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- Gina Fasoli (1995). "20 Ottobre 1944: si spara all'Ateneo" [20 October 1944: Shots Fired at the University]. Resistenza oggi (in italiano): 137–140. Unknown parameter
|trans-journal=ignored (help) - "Cattura di un gruppo organizzato di pericolosi «fuori-legge»" [Capture of an Organised Group of Dangerous ‘Outlaws’]. il Resto del Carlino (in italiano). 24 October 1944. p. 2.
References
- ↑ "Scaravilli Antonio". Storia e Memoria di Bologna (in italiano). Comune di Bologna. Retrieved 24 September 2025. Unknown parameter
|trans-website=ignored (help) - ↑ "Battaglia dell'Università" [Battle of the University]. Storia e Memoria di Bologna (in italiano). Comune di Bologna. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ↑ Resolution of the City Council of Bologna, dated 18 July 1955
- ↑ "Antonino Scaravilli". Archivio storico dell'Università di Bologna (in italiano). Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ↑ Episodio di Battaglia dell’Università, Bologna, 20.10.1944 (PDF) (Report) (in italiano). INSMLI (National Institute for the History of the Italian Liberation Movement) and ANPI (National Association of Italian Partisans). Retrieved 24 September 2025.
External links
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Template:Resistance in World War II by country
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